As is known in the prior art, a metal terminal set formed as a unified structure is placed into an injection molding machine in which two halves of a mold are closed so as to form a cavity about the terminal set. Molten plastic is then forced into the cavity in a well-known manner and hardens about the terminal set so as to form a rigid plastic terminal connector housing having the metal terminal set embedded therein. The problem with this prior art technique is that the plurality of conductive contact members of the terminal set are still connected together as a unified structure by means of a plurality of connecting bars or links. This requires an additional and costly fabrication step, after the molded terminal connector is ejected from the mold, of cutting or severing the plurality of connecting bars in order to electrically separate the plurality of conductive contact members.
A prior art search directed toward the subject matter of this application was conducted in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and revealed the following patents; U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,344,309; 3,930,114; 4,785,532; 4,821,413; and 4,859,632.
However, none of the prior art uncovered in the search disclosed a three-plate mold base like that of the present invention wherein the upper mold plate having a plurality of punches extending through a spring-biased intermediate mold plate serves to cut a metal terminal set so as to form a plurality of individual conductive contact members when the mold is closed. The cutting operation is performed prior to the injection molding process as an integral part of clamping the metal terminal set between the upper and lower mold plates.